Saturday, September 5 – 4:00 PM
God’s Blessing for Good Health for Mary – Family

Sunday, September 6 – 8:30AM
FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
God’s Blessing and Good Health for all parishioners.
Divine Liturgies are available for your intentions. Please use the envelopes in the vestibule or call Father for your request.
Why God Allows Pain This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen. It’s an explanation other people will understand. A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: ”I don’t believe that God exists.” ”Why do you say that?” asked the customer. ”Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can’t imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things.” The customer thought for a moment, but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: “You know what? Barbers do not exist.” ”How can you say that?” asked the surprised barber. “I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you” ”No” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.” ”Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is that people do not come to me.” ”Exactly!”- Affirmed the customer. “That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens is that people don’t go to Him and do not look for Him. That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.” BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING

THE BLACK DOT
One day a professor entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They all waited anxiously at their desks for the exam to begin. The professor handed out the exam with the text facing down, as usual. Once he handed them all out, he asked the students to turn over the paper. To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions – just a black dot in the center of the sheet of paper. The professor, seeing the expression on everyone’s face, told them the following:
“I want you to write about what you see there.” The students confused, got started on the inexplicable task. At the end of the class, the professor took all the exams, and started reading each one of them out loud, in front of all the students. All of them with no exception defined the black dot, trying to explain its position in the center of the sheet.
After all the papers had been read, the classroom silent, the professor started to explain.
“I’m not going to grade you on this; I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot – and the same happens in our lives. We have a white piece of paper to observe and enjoy, but we always focus on the dark spots. Our life is a gift given to us by God, with love and care, and we always have reasons to celebrate nature renewing itself every day, our friends around us, the job that provides our livelihood, the miracles we see every day…However, we insist on focusing only on the dark spot – the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, the disappointment with a friend.
The dark spots are very small when compared to everything we have in our lives, but they’re the ones that pollute our mind. Take your eyes away from the black dot in your life. Enjoy each one of your blessings, each moment that life gives you. Be happy and live a life filled with love.
SANCTUARY LIGHT: The Sanctuary Light is requested to burn this week August 29 – September 5 by Arlene Jones for God’s blessings for good health for her sister-in-law Virginia.

RUMMAGE SALE: The annual Rummage Sale Sponsored by Women’s Society will be held sometime in October. Bring your items to the church on Sat. or Sun. or at the hall on Monday’s. Any items you may have to donate to the sale will be greatly appreciated as long as they are in good condition and the clothing only 3 years old will be accepted.

CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING: The monthly meeting of the Church Council will be held on Thursday, Sept. 3rd in the Church Hall at 6:30 PM. All members are urged to attend this meeting.

Sunday, August 23 – 8:30 AM THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
God’s Blessing and Good Health on all parishioners

Thursday, August 27 – 9:00 AM ✞David Trimmel – wife Irene Qurion

Saturday, August 29– 4:00 PM BEHEADING OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
Anointing of Holy Oil – Myrovania
God’s Blessings for good health for
Father Popyk’s Parents Nicolas & Paraska Popyk

Sunday, August 30– 8:30AM FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
God’s Blessing and Good Health on all parishioners
Observance of Sunday in Apostolic
Sunday should not be considered as merely a substitute for the Old Testament Sabbath. As a creation of Christianity it is filled with a profoundly Christian meaning. This is evident in the great variety of names given to it. What was the meaning of Sunday to the Apostles and the first Christians?
Sunday – The First Day – The last day of the week, Saturday, was sacred to the Jews. It was the symbol of God’s rest after creating the world. Whereas the first day of the week was sacred to the Christians, for it was the symbol of the new creation begun in the Resurrection of Christ. As Eusebius of Alexandria says: “It was on this day that the Lord began the first-fruits of the creation of the world, and on the same day He gave to the world the first-fruit of the Resurrection.”
Sunday – Sun Day or Day of the Sun – The Ancient Romans, following the Egyptians, called Sunday the “Day of the Sun”, from which comes the English name, “Sunday”. To the early Fathers of the Church this name had a profound meaning, for they considered the sun as the symbol of Jesus Christ: St. Justin the Martyr says: “We come together on the day of the sun on which God, changing darkness and matter created the world, and on which Jesus Christ our Savior arose from the dead.” Eusebius of Caesarea similarly remarks: “It was on this day that at the time of creation when God said, “Let there be light’, there was light; and on this day also arose the Sun of Justice on our souls.”
Sunday – The Day of the Lord or The Lord’s Day – This name which appears for the first time in the Book of Revelation of St. John (1,10), and was quickly taken up by Christians, and in time replaced the name “day of the sun”. The “Day of the Lord” refers to Christ, who through His Resurrection on Sunday became the Lord.
The Observance of Sunday – The observance or celebration of Sunday from the very beginning was one of joy and festivity, for every Sunday reminded the first Christians of the joyous event of Christ’s Resurrection. For this reason all signs of penance and sorrow such as kneeling and fasting were set aside. Two things characterize the Christian’ observance of Sunday, namely, assistance at the Divine Liturgy and abstinence or rest from strenuous physical work
SANCTUARY LIGHT: The Sanctuary Light is requested to burn this week Aug. 22 – 29 for God’s blessings for good heath for Mary Pinaha requested by Ann Beshada.

FLOWERS: A new chart for the intention of bouquets of flowers is available. A bouquet in memory of a loved one, in honor of family or friends or special intentions is always such a beautiful gesture to remember them by. The bouquets start a $30 and may be any amount after that.

PRAYERS: Please remember in your prayers all the sick of the parish, their families and friends, those in nursing homes, hospitals and at home.

LUC MEETING: The vibrant North Anthracite Council of the League of Ukrainian Catholics met on Sunday, August 16, 2015 at SS. Cyril and Methodius Church of Berwick PA. Following Moleben to Our Blessed Mother, the group met at the nearby residence of Tim and Janina Everett for its general meeting and annual picnic. We were honored to have as our guests Ms. Marion Hrubec, LUC National President and Ms. Helen Fedoriw, National Vice President. Both reported on the upcoming Convention and the formation of new chapters as well as the growth in memberships. To quote Ms. Hrubec: “If you want some Vibrancy, join the LUC!”
HOAGIE SALE: St. Nicholas UCC, 153 E. Main St., Glen Lyon, PA is sponsoring a Turkey and Italian Hoagie Sale and a bake sale on Thursday, September 10, 2015 from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM in the church hall. Orders can be placed by calling Debbie by September 6th.

Sunday, August 16 – 8:30 AM
BLESSING OF FLOWERS
Anointing of Holy Oil – Myrovania
God’s Blessing and Good Health on all parishioners

CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING: The monthly meeting of the Church Council will be held on Thursday, Sept. 3rd in the Church Hall at 6:30 PM. All members are urged to attend this meeting.
TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
AUGUST 16, 2015

Sunday, August 23– 8:30AM THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
God’s Blessing and Good Health on all parishioners

DORMITION OF THE MOST HOLY
MOTHER OF GOD

This feast commemorates the happy death of the Blessed Virgin May. Her death was so calm and free from pains and remorse that it seemed to be a “sleep.”
It is an article of faith that the Blessed Mother of our Savior was taken body and soul into heaven upon her death. Although the Blessed Virgin really died and her soul was separated from her body, the latte, however, was preserved from corruption and shortly afterwards was re united to her soul. Thus the Blessed Virgin entered heaven with a glorified body and soul.
We do not know how many years after Christ’s death the Blessed Virgin remained on earth. Some writers affirm that she died at the age of seventy two, that is, twenty two years after our Lord’s death.
The feast itself was introduced in the second or third century, for Pope Gelasius I (492-496) calls it very old in one of his letters. In the fifth century it spread to the whole Church.
We thank Michael Kane for his donation of flowers this week in honor of the Blessed Mothers Dormition.

SANCTUARY LIGHT: The Sanctuary Light is requested to burn this week Aug. 15 – 22 by an anonymous friend in memory of Elizabeth Ruddy.
A few weeks are available on the Sanctuary Light chart. If you wish to request one please sign up. Donation is $15 – burns for one week.

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS: We would like to wish Mary Oshirak a very happy, healthy Birthday; Mary will celebrate her day today, August 15th. MNOHYA LITA!

LUC MEETING: The North Anthracite LUC will meet this Sunday, Aug. 16th. Moleben at SS Cyril & Methodius, Berwick, PA at 3:00 PM. The meeting and social picnic will follow.

SYMPATHY: We extend our sympathy to the family of Janice Fera
who was called to her eternal rest. May her memory be eternal.
RUMMAGE SALE: SS Cyril & Methodius, UCC, Olyphant, PA will sponsor a Rummage Sale in the school gym located at 133 River St. Olyphant, PA = Fri. & Sat. Sept. 16 & 19th – 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Sunday, Aug. 20th – 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM

CEMETERY BOOKS: The Parish Cemetery Book is still available. If you are interested in one of the books please inform the office. The books are $30. Thanks to all who purchased one and we had several out of town requests for the book.

PRAYERS: Please remember in your prayers all the sick of the parish, their families and friends, those in nursing homes, hospitals and at home. A special prayer for Rita Rentko, she is in the hospital.

Sunday, August 16– 8:30AM TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
BLESSING OF FLOWERS
Anointing of Holy Oil – Myrovania
God’s Blessing and Good Health on all parishioners

COUNCIL MEETING:: The Parish Council will meet Thursday, September 3rd at 6:30 PM at the Church Hall. This is the first meeting since May. All members please try to attend this meeting.

BLESSING OF FLOWERS: Next Saturday and Sunday, the Dormition of the Mother of God, will be the blessing of flowers after the Divine Liturgies. This is a wonderful tradition in the Eastern Churches. Bring your flowers to be blessed to have them placed in your home

SANCTUARY LIGHT: The Sanctuary Light is requested to burn this week Aug. 8 – 15 by Michael Kane In memory of Margaret Kulyn.

FLOWERS: A new chart for the intention of bouquets of flowers is available. A bouquet in memory of a loved one, in honor of family or friends or special intentions is always such a beautiful gesture to remember them by. The bouquets start a $30 and may be any amount after that.

PRAYERS: Please remember in your prayers all the sick of the parish, their families and friends, those in nursing homes, hospitals and at home.

LUC MEETING: North Anthracite Council – League of Ukrainian Catholics will conduct a general meeting and its annual picnic on Sunday, August 16, 2015 in Berwick. Moleben Prayer Service will begin at 3:00pm at SS. Cyril and Methodius Church, 706 North Warren Street followed by a business session. Agenda will focus on commemorating the 150th Anniversary of Venerable Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky’s birth and the upcoming October 16 to 18 National Convention in Lansdale, PA.
A bountiful fun-filled annual picnic will follow at the nearby residence of Tim and Janina Everett. Newcomers and former members are welcome to attend. For additional information contact President Dorothy Jamula at or any LUC member of the parish.

Sunday, August 9 – 8:30AM
ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
God’s Blessing and Good Health
on all parishioners.

SANCTUARY LIGHT:
No request for the Sanctuary Light this week. Many openings are available for your requests.

ALTAR CANDLES: The Altar Candles will burn for all services in the month of August in memory of the Fromel & Rose Families, requested by Paul & Marion Rose.

FAST FOR THE MOTHER OF GOD:
August 1 to 15th is the fasting from meat and music. Pray the rosary daily through the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

TRANSFIGURATION OF
OUR LORD

Thursday. August 6th, we will celebrate the feast of our Lord’s Transfiguration. In His wisdom, Jesus planned this miracle at a very opportune time in His life, in order to strengthen His disciples, when the time of trial would come; they would remember the glory and majesty of His Transfiguration.
The relevance of the Transfiguration for us lies in the Divine Liturgy, for what once happened on Mount Tabor happens every time the Holy Sacrifice is offered. Christ, in fact, is transfigured on our altars. Under the appearances of bread and wine, the eyes of faith can see the glorified Christ. The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament of transfiguration. But, the Liturgy goes even further: it not only reveals Christ transfigured but allows us to share His glory intimately.
When Our Lord was transfigured, two Old Testament figures appeared with Him as witnesses to His glory. Christ was the fulfillment of the Old Law and the prophecies so that Moses, the representative of the Old Law and Elias, the representative of the Prophets, appeared with Our Lord who established the New Covenant between God and His chosen people.
So much emphasis today is placed on the humanity of Christ. The feast of the Transfiguration serves to remind us of His divinity. Christ is the Son of God

who transformed all creation by His passion, and the light of His glory has made the whole universe sharply aware of the holiness of God. The living Christ on the high mountain of Tabor, shining as the sun, was the Son of God. That same Son of God in His life on earth among us had more humiliations than moments of glory. His transfiguration should underling for us the mysterious meaning of life, namely, that joy follows Good Friday and heaven follows sufferings that are patiently endured.
No life can have much meaning that is devoid of an understanding of joy and suffering. Wednesday’s feast day underlines a great moment of joy in the love of our Lord that supported His disciples when they saw Him humiliated and put to great shame. The transfiguration is a promise of future glory that can only be merited by leading a good life and helping others to do so too. If we are loyal to the mysteries of our Catholic faith and uphold its truth, then the immeasurable reward of transfiguration will be ours, too.